Pages

Saturday, October 20, 2018

It's been a woefully chilly autumn here in Edmonton, with snow flying on more than a few days from mid-September up until last week. Things have done a complete 180, prairie-style, and now it feels like late summer. Go figure. I'm not about to let the weather dictate what I'm going to eat, though, so back when it was scarf and toque weather, I hoofed it down to Yelo'd.

The word "yelo" means "ice" in Tagalog, the language of the Filipines. I'd been by Yelo'd, which joins a growing roster of delicious Whyte Avenue eats (finally veering away from the franchisey feel that dominated the mid-2010s), a few times over the summer but always found the queue stretching down the block. It was barely about freezing on this mid-September day and for once there was no line. Hooray!

Inside, I found a rainbow of cookies. Enticing flavours like chocolate sesame or ube and macadamia

nut. What is ube, you ask? It's purple yam. One might not think of yam as an ingredient for baked goods, but let me promise you it is delicious. It is subtle. Sort of like vanilla, and yet not. Nutty. Gentle. Just yum.

Ube also stars in soft-serve ice cream at Yelo'd. There are generally four flavours on tap. You have the option of swirling two together or enjoying one on its own. Word to the wise - if the server asks if you'd like coconut on yours, say yes. I tried ube and passion fruit swirled together. In a word, delicious. The acidity of the passion fruit offset the serene ube in a most pleasing sort of way. It didn't feel at all strange to be wolfing down an ice cream cone when most people were clutching pumpkin spice lattes to their cheeks with gloved hands.

I didn't try most of the baked goods, but rest assured I will be back for more - weather or not.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

The Moth bills itself as "a little bit of magic in the midst of a revitalizing urban core." I couldn't agree more. Housed in a dusty rose building on the southeast corner of Jasper Avenue and 95 Street, The Moth is hardly in a neighbourhood known to be sought out intentionally. Rather, this 'hood has a long rap sheet of dilapidated buildings and transient residents. Little more than a crossroads between worlds perpetually coming and going, but never stopping long enough to put down roots.

Friday, August 10, 2018

I’m (@oneweedram) hijacking @MarlowMoo’s food blog to write a lifestyle piece. When I was first told about Modern Gravity Float Studios from my massage therapist, Life Force Massage, I have to admit I was incredibly skeptical. I mean, the thought of paying someone $40 or more to float naked in a giant tub of salt water sounded like some new age woo woo (sorry Jordan!) and reminded me of this scene from Futurama…

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Taste of Edmonton has been an event that has been a part of my summer tradition for as long as this bovine can remember. In my almost 2 years in Vancouver, I am not sure that I have seen any festival that is quite the same as Taste of Edmonton. So I was very happy to be in Edmonton to catch at least the last part of the festival. Due to the LRT construction, this years festival has moved to Capital Plaza and Capital Boulevard. Capital Boulevard has in my opinion, been woefully underused since it was completed in 2014. It was meant to increase the public space downtown and be a pedestrian friendly area where people could stroll about or sit and visit. Although Capital Plaza tends to be used on Canada Day, it sits fairly empty and quiet the remainder of the year.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

The first thing that hits you at Kanto 98 St Eatery is the rich scent of barbecued meat. It's right there the minute you walk through the door. It's no wonder Chef Edgar Gutierrez (whose culinary skills put Tres Carnales and Rostizado on the map) bills his new restaurant as Filipino comfort food. That's exactly what it is.

After so much time in Vancouver, I knew I had to check out Kanto. I even made some new friends! The inside of Kanto is as bright as a comic book and I couldn't wait to dig into the enticing menu.

Chef Edgar recommended BBQ Liempo (pork belly), which was succulent and rich, BBQ chicken (spicy and bold) and - EEK - feeb! The humans swore it was delicious but I chose not to partake.

Fried chicken was piping hot and crispy, right out of the fryer. This is among the best fried chicken in the city, no question. I could have crushed an entire bucket, but that would have meant no room for other delights.

Talangka fried rice is dripping with butter and garlic. The rice stole the show. Something so simple kept us going back for more. The rice even had a little tube of vinegar to spice things up. Vinegar is an important ingredient in Filipino cooking, giving it a characteristic sour flavour.

We finished with Attila D'hen Bao. Here, more of Kanto's addictive fried chicken is tucked in a soft bao and dressed with hot sauce, onions, and sesame. It had kick! We were so full at that point, that most of the bao ended up as a midnight snack later...not that I'm complaining. I think a second trip is in order...there are still things yet untasted on the menu.